Changing Traditions
by sosmitten
Summary: Here's my take on the Gilmore Christmas. Luke and Lorelai centered, with each chapter from the point of view of a different person. COMPLETE STORY.
1. Rory

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note:** This is the first part of a three part Christmas story. It really bugged me that we didn't get to see the holidays. The other two chapters are mostly written, so hopefully updates will come soon. This is from Rory's point of view.

* * *

RORY 

"I'm so glad you're coming to hang out with me this weekend. We haven't seen each other enough lately. What should we do tonight?" Lorelai asked Rory as they drove together to their Friday night dinner in Hartford. Rory smiled to herself. She had missed her mother. Their typical uncanny connection seemed weaker somehow. There was a distance between them, not because of any disagreement or fight, but just the distance that comes from separation. They had lost their summer, usually a time when their bond strengthened and any frayed ends were repaired. It made the minor bumps in their relationship that much more noticeable. And then there was Luke.

"Do you have plans with Luke?" Rory asked, hoping the answer was no. She was really looking forward to hanging out with her mom. They hadn't done the whole movie night thing in a while and with all the craziness around breaking up with Dean and wondering what was going on with Logan, Rory was ready for some girl time.

"Not specific plans. I told him I would stop by after dinner. Hey, why don't we get a movie and I'll ask him if he wants to join us?"

"I don't want to get in the way of your evening. I know you weren't planning on me being here," Rory said, hoping she was sufficiently covering up her reluctance to have Luke join them. She was a little surprised by how disappointed she was, but decided it must just be her desire to have her mom to herself. She'd feel better after they had a chance to hang out this weekend.

"That's funny. He would say that he doesn't want to intrude on our plans. I can probably talk him into it, though."

Rory tried to sound enthusiastic as she answered, "Sure why don't you ask him."

* * *

In the car on the way home Rory struggled to understand what she was feeling about her mom and Luke. She knew that they were happy together and she honestly wanted to be happy and excited for them. Where was this coming from? When had this started?

She thought back to the day that she had returned from Europe, the day that Luke had returned from Maine. The look on her mother's face when Luke came to take their order was priceless. It was clear that something was going on between them, especially when they both suddenly created errands they needed to run.

On the way home from the diner, Rory pounced. "Okay spill."

"What?" Lorelai asked innocently.

"Where did you and Luke meet while you were doing your pretend errands?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on. Jess and I perfected the fake errands thing. I can tell a meet up when I see one. What's going on? I mean, he's been gone as long as I have, so I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but something is definitely going on with you two." Rory continued to tease her mother, but was feeling a little hurt not to have known what was going on.

"Well, okay you are right. I guess we are dating, although without the actual dating part."

"Explain please."

"Well, you knew about his sister's wedding and the movie invite -"

"Oh, did you go to the movie?" Rory asked excitedly.

"No, he had to go to Maine before that, so we haven't been on that date yet."

"But that was supposed to be the night that I left."

"Yeah."

"So, how did you get from 'I _might_ be dating Luke' to secret trysts, when he's been gone as long as I have?"

"We kissed."

"During the tryst?"

"There was no tryst. He just wanted to say hello without an audience. And he gave me this necklace," she said, pulling the necklace out of her pocket and holding it so Rory could see."

"That's beautiful," Rory said, impressed by Luke's taste. "But what about the kiss? When did you kiss him?"

Lorelai said reluctantly, "The night of the test run. Kirk interrupted us with his streaking."

"Oh." Rory paused, thinking about what else had been interrupted that night.

"Rory! Oh, my God. You're missing everything. Grab those CDs and head back to the inn before you miss the cross-dressing midgets. That's where the night is headed. Oh! Things are happening - big things, wow things. I have so much to tell you. Let me just open with this little tidbit - Kirk running naked through the square. Of course, with all my careful planning and preparation, I forgot to bring Band-aids and a camera. I have got to learn that, always, without fail, Kirk equals camera. Hey, what's going on?"

A sudden realization struck Rory as she remembered her mother's random babble as she ran into the house just before she saw Rory with Dean. In all of the drama of that moment, Rory had not registered everything her mother had said, and had not thought to question her mother's excitement about a naked Kirk. She had come to share the news about kissing Luke, until events spun out of control even further. Her momentary relief that her mom had wanted to tell her was quickly overcome by the knowledge that this had all happened seven weeks ago and she had not known about it until this moment. She had gone off to Europe in the middle of a fight and her mother had started a relationship without telling her. She wanted to be angry about being left out, but all the anger and frustration came right back to herself.

"I'm sorry. That's why I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but then we were fighting and you went to Europe and Luke went to Maine. End of story."

"So you haven't seen Luke since the kiss?" Rory asked in disbelief.

"Well just in the inn the next morning."

"And then he just left? He kissed you and left for _seven_ weeks?"

"He left me several very sweet messages on the machine trying to explain the situation and to leave me his cell phone number." Lorelai smiled at the memory and then went on, "He called me every couple of days, probably to make sure I didn't forget him."

"Wow, Luke with a cell phone. Who would have thought?" Rory's head was spinning. While she and her mother were having the longest fight of their life, Lorelai had been talking regularly to her new 'boyfriend,' who was also one of her oldest friends. She felt a pang of jealousy wash over her as she thought about the summer she had missed with her Mom. Just as quickly she felt a strong guilt about being jealous of her the relationship. She had no one to blame for shutting her mom out but herself.

When they got home, Rory and Lorelai made up for lost time with snacks and videos, sharing stories while Lorelai tried to offer comfort. It felt like old times, but not quite.

_Hey, do you think Annie the Grog Girl made a pass at Luke? I'm sure he rebuffed her, but he was there a long time. I hope not. I'd joust the little slut_.

There were just enough comments like those to remind Rory that her mom had something (actually someone) else on her mind. She was trying to be there for Rory and they were having a good time catching up, but it didn't feel as if it were just the two of them anymore. After one movie, Rory yawned, blaming the jet lag.

"I think I just want to go to bed. I'm really tired and we'll have all day tomorrow to hang out, right?"

"Of course we will. Are you sure you can't stay up for one more movie?"

"No, I really am beat."

"Well if you are sure…I think that I might go stop by the diner," Lorelai said, suddenly looking shy and nervously excited.

"Yeah, go give him a welcome home kiss," Rory said, trying not to be disappointed that her mom didn't try harder to convince her. A few minutes later, she heard the front door shut and realized how lonely she was.

* * *

Rory's reverie was interrupted when Lorelai asked, "Rory, are you okay? You've been really quiet since we left Hartford."

"No, it's nothing. I'm just tired."

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about inviting Luke to Christmas dinner with my parents. Should I have checked with you?"

"It's okay mom," Rory said quietly, but she knew she was lying. She couldn't figure out if she was really upset about Luke coming to Christmas dinner, or if it was just that her mom had not asked her. She had obviously had more than one conversation with Emily about it, but hadn't mentioned it at all. That was probably it, she didn't like being out of the loop. A part of her, though, realizes it is something more. There has never been a guy that Lorelai wanted to invite to Christmas dinner. It felt threatening somehow, to have someone else suddenly so important in her mom's life. They've always been the most important people in each other's lives, until Luke. She knows this relationship is different for Lorelai. She knew it would be different from the moment it began.

"_Okay, whoa, this is Luke."_

"_I know."_

"_Our Luke - the town Luke. We see him every day. He's a part of our lives."_

"_I know."_

" _I mean, everyone will know. They'll know if you're together, they'll know if you're not together."_

"_I know."_

"

"_You can't just date Luke. When you're with Luke, you are with Luke. And if it doesn't work out, it will be really bad for both of us. I mean, how do you feel about this? Do you want to be dating Luke?"_

It _had_ been different, and even though she had thought about Lorelai and Luke together before, she wasn't prepared for it when it actually happened. It was easy to see how happy they made each other, but that wasn't so surprising. What was surprising was how comfortable they were in their relationship. Lorelai was known for getting flighty and freaked out before a relationship could get even get going. Part of Rory had been dreading that ever since Luke and Lorelai's first date. This was different, though. Her mother was not just smitten and giddy and happy, but she was also content. And even though Luke wasn't big on public displays of affection, Rory could see the way that they looked at each other. When Luke and her mom were together it was like they didn't notice the rest of the world.

Rory thought that maybe the reason she hung onto Dean for as long as she did was because she wanted what her mom had with Luke. She saw that comfort, safety and companionship and was envious. Rory thought she had that with Dean, but there were always ghosts around when they were together. Long ago jealousies and more recent guilt battled silently over their heads whenever they were together and no matter how much she tried, they wouldn't go away. She tried to turn Dean into her own Luke, but he wasn't and would never be. It just took her a while to realize that she wasn't in love with Dean anymore. He didn't make her heart flutter or make the world fall away anymore. Not the way it did when Luke looked at her mom. She didn't love Dean the way that she knew Lorelai loved Luke. She smiled at that. Her mom loved Luke. She wasn't quite sure how she knew, but she was certain about it and just as certain that her mom had not told him. Rory wondered briefly how Luke and Lorelai had been able to get past their own ghosts, or if those ghosts were still there.

* * *

Lorelai did in fact convince Luke to join them for a movie. Rory busied herself by gathering snacks and drinks and tried to get herself excited about the night. She considered pretending to be tired and go to bed early, but Lorelai seemed excited to have the two of them together. She had mentioned it a few times in the car on the way home. When the she heard the knock at the door, Rory let her mom answer it and turned her head while Lorelai greeted Luke with an affectionate kiss. Rory hoped she didn't look as uncomfortable as she felt. As she watched Luke, she could see that he was tense, especially when Lorelai was close to him. It was halfway through the movie before he relaxed and let Lorelai snuggle up next to him. She seemed thrilled to have her two favorite people together with her. Rory couldn't remember a time when her mother looked so purely content. It struck her again how happy she was.

When the movie was over, Luke stood up and said, "I assume I'll see you two tomorrow for breakfast?"

Lorelai seemed sad that he was leaving, but glanced at Rory and said, "Okay, but you better not leave without a real goodbye." She smiled and gave him a wink.

He blushed and looked at the floor, and Rory said, "Luke, you don't have to go on my account. You can stay here you know. It won't bother me." Except that it might.

"I'm not – I shouldn't – The diner – early tomorrow anyway. But thank you for the offer. I should go."

Ok, good night," said Rory as she walked toward her room, shutting the door when she got inside."

* * *

Rory had heard the front door close and her mother's footsteps. "So, couldn't convince him to stay?" she asked as Lorelai sighed and walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water.

"No," Lorelai said sadly. "But I tried," she continued with a smirk.

"I'm sure you did, but I don't want to know the details. It's because of me, right? He stays here when I am not around."

"Yeah, he does. I mean, he doesn't have a key or anything, but he does stay. Tonight he just kept saying that he doesn't want to intrude."

"It's not an intrusion. You know, you could give him a key if you wanted. That wouldn't bother me. I like seeing you together. He makes you so happy."

"Yeah, he does," she said, not able to hide a grin.

"Mom, do you think that he thinks I don't want you two together? He doesn't quite seem comfortable with me."

"I don't know, hon. How do you feel, honestly?"

"I love Luke and I love you and I have never seen the two of you so happy. I'll admit that I was angry at him after the double date with Dean, but that's in the past. I like that you are together. Maybe I just need to tell him that."

"Are you okay with him coming with us on Christmas? I'm sorry I didn't run that by you. I should have. It's always just been us on Christmas."

"It's fine," she started, then saw Lorelai looking at her skeptically. "Okay, maybe I was just a little annoyed that you didn't tell me you were thinking about it. I mean you don't need my permission. I just would have liked to be in on the convincing of Grandma."

"So it did bother you?"

"Well, no. . . Well, maybe. . ."

"Rory, you need to tell me if there is something bothering you about me and Luke."

"There isn't, really. I just think I miss spending time with you, but I worry about intruding on your time."

"God, Rory, I had no idea. I shouldn't have invited him tonight. We should have just hung out."

"But you were really happy tonight. I don't want you to feel like you are giving something up to spend time with me."

"I'm not. Besides if you or Luke is uncomfortable, I don't want to push it. Let's just get used to this gradually. And I am sorry about the Christmas invite. I should have asked you. I do want to make sure that it is okay with you. If it is not, he doesn't have to come. Christmas has been one of our things. He wasn't even sure he wanted to come."

Rory was struck by the concern on her mom's face, but knew she would not be able to forgive herself if Luke was alone on Christmas because of her. "No, mom, you can't un-invite him. He'd be all alone."

"Who knows, he night prefer that to the Gilmore house of hell," Lorelai with a smirk.

"No way," Rory answered and without thoroughly thinking through how she felt about it she added, "It's okay, really mom, and I have another idea. Why don't we invite him for Christmas Eve and have him stay over and open presents with us in the morning?"

"Really?" Lorelai said, trying to cover a surprised, happy look with a show of concern for her daughter. "That would be great, but are you sure?" When Rory nodded, Lorelai smiled, but then her look saddened, "but I don't think he will agree."

"Let me work on him. I'll ask him tomorrow at breakfast."

* * *

By the time Lorelai and Rory got to the diner the next morning, the breakfast rush had died down and Luke was doing the never-ending wiping of the counters. He smiled as they walked in, picked up two mugs and filled them with coffee. He smiled warmly at Lorelai as he handed her the coffee, but he didn't kiss her. Rory wanted to kick herself for feeling relieved. After taking their orders, he returned to the counter, restocking things that had been depleted during the rush. Rory knew this was her best opportunity for asking Luke about Christmas. "Hey Mom, I'm going to go talk to Luke about Christmas. Wish me luck."

Lorelai smiled and gave her a thumbs-up as she walked toward the counter. "Hey Luke, Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Thanks for coming last night. I think it meant a lot to Mom."

"It was fun."

"Really? You didn't seem totally comfortable. Was it because of me?"

"I feel like I should be asking you the same question."

"What? Why?"

"You just looked like you would have rather it been just the two of you. I shouldn't have let your mom talk me into it."

Rory was shocked that she had been so transparent and tried to cover it up with an emphatic denial, "Is that what you think? That I don't want you around? Luke, I love that you guys are together. You make her so happy. Do you think I don't want that?"

Of course you want her to be happy. So do I, but it's okay to admit it if you are a little jealous." Luke said this last part quietly and gently, looking over to where Lorelai was now deep in conversation on her cell phone.

"What? I am not," she replied a bit angrily, even as she realized he was exactly right.

"I think you might be," he looked up at her, "and so am I."

"What?"

"Rory, you and your mother are closer than any two people I know. She doesn't want you to know how much she misses you because she doesn't want you to regret being away at school, but she misses you and needs you as much as she always has. Sometimes I watch you guys together and you have such a strong connection that it seems like you are oblivious to the rest of the world. So yeah, I'm a little jealous sometimes."

"Really? Cause you know, that oblivious thing, you and Mom do that too."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah, and not just since you've been dating."

"Is that what bothers you?"

"It bothers me less knowing you feel the same way." She looked up suddenly realizing what she had said. "Is that mean?"

"No, just honest. Hey Rory, I'm uh… I really like your mom and I want to be with her, but the last thing that I would ever do is come between you two."

Rory could feel tears, but held them back. She couldn't believe what Luke had almost just said. The strange thing was, it wasn't quite so threatening anymore. She suddenly let out a small giggle.

"What?"

"We are quite a pair, aren't we?" He nodded and gave her a rare smile. It wasn't quite like the ones he reserved for Lorelai, but it was close. Rory looked at him and said, "You know, she needs you too. She's never let anyone else get so close and I want that for her. I really do."

"I believe you."

"I don't want to come between you or make you think that I don't want you together."

"I don't think that."

"Wow, I feel like we just made up from some big fight that neither one of us knew we were having."

"I know what you mean. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Actually no, I wanted to ask you to spend Christmas with us. I think Mom already talked to you about dinner at my grandparents house but I was wondering if you would come over on Christmas Eve and stay over so you could open presents with us in the morning?"

"But you and your mom have really set traditions around Christmas. I don't want to get in the way of those, especially after what we were just talking about."

"But Luke, this is her favorite holiday and she really wants to spend it with both of us."

"Well I guess I could come over on Christmas morning and make you guys breakfast."

"Then you'll miss all the Christmas Eve festivities and you have to stay the night. You haven't seen anything until you have seen my mom waking up on Christmas."

"But those are your festivities."

"I want to share them with you."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," she answered, more sure now than she had been when she first approached him.

"Okay, but I'm not going to come over until late on Christmas Eve so that you and your mom can have the whole day to yourselves."

"How about 10:00? We'll be on to our last movie by then. You have to as least watch one Christmas movie with us."

"That sounds good."

"Then after the dinner you can have my mom all to yourself. I am going to hang out with Paris, who decided to stay home instead of hanging out with one or the other of her crazy parents."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but Paris will appreciate it, even if she won't admit it."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I know. Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for agreeing to come. She is going to love having you there."

"It will be nice to be there. Thank you for inviting me. It means a lot that the invitation came from you."

Rory smiled at him as she returned to the table.

"Wow, that was a long conversation. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I feel better now and…"

"Did you get a chance to ask him about Christmas?" Lorelai asked eagerly.

"Well if you give me a chance to finish the sentence. He drove a hard bargain and it took some negotiating to get him to agree to stay overnight, but he said he would come over around 10:00 on Christmas Eve and stay over so he could be there in the morning. He said he would only do it if you and I could have Christmas Eve day all to ourselves."

"That sounds perfect. So let's start planning our day!" Rory just smiled as she watched her mom launch into her Christmas excitement. She had just thought of the perfect gift for Luke.

* * *

Christmas Eve was a crazy Gilmore day of eating, movies, wrapping presents and even decorating cookies at Sookie's house. They were almost at the end of "It's a Wonderful Life" when there was a knock at the door.

"Come on in," yelled Lorelai. "We've eaten too much to move."

Luke came in and walked over to the back of the couch behind Lorelai. She turned and pulled him down for a quick kiss, while Rory made a point of not looking away. "What are you watching?"

"You mean you can't tell?" asked Rory, with surprise. This is the classic Christmas tale, "It's a Wonderful Life, but it's almost over."

"What's next?"

"Miracle on 34th Street. Here, you can have my seat," she offered, starting to get up off the couch.

"No, don't get up. I'll sit here," he said as he placed a pillow on the floor in front of Lorelai and sat down, leaning his head against her knee, as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Lorelai then reached for Rory and wrapped her arm around her shoulders saying, "Okay, now that everyone is comfortable, who is going to change the movie?"

* * *

"Hey hon, are you awake?"

"Mom, what are you doing here? What time is it?"

"It's time to open presents. It's Christmas morning, you know." There was such excitement in her voice, Rory couldn't help but giggle, until she looked at the clock.

"Mom, it's 5:30 in the morning. You are worse than a five year old. How is it possible that on any other day, you are useless before 7:30, but on Christmas you have some sort of crazy kid alarm clock."

"I guess that is just the wonder of me."

"Or the craziness." Rory paused for a minute and then said, "Did you torment Luke at this obscene hour too?"

"Well, he is pretty out and he doesn't get to sleep in very often, so I spared him for a little longer. Besides, I wanted some Christmas morning time with you."

"Fine, but can you let me get some more sleep?"

"Well, okay," Lorelai said reluctantly as she tried to go back to sleep. After a few minutes she said, "So Rory, I was thinking that we could make breakfast to surprise Luke."

"Well, that _would _surprise Luke."

"So what do you think that we could make?"

"I don't know. Can we think about it later?"

"Okay." Then a few minutes later, "Do you think he would notice if we served him frozen waffles?"

"Mom, is there any chance that you are going back to sleep?"

"Not really, you know it's Christmas, right?"

"I don't think it counts as Christmas if it's still dark."

"Well, I can go back to my bed if you want."

"No, that's fine. I like that you are here. It's just that sometimes you choose the oddest times for mother-daughter bonding."

Lorelai gave Rory a hug and said, "Thanks so much for asking Luke to come. I know it's a little weird, but it means a lot to me that he will be here with us."

"I just think that it's weird that you are here with me instead of in bed with him. This isn't a bad sign is it?

"What do you mean?"

"You remember Max, right?"

"Oh Rory, this is nothing like that. I just wanted to keep up our Christmas tradition."

"Well, you have sufficiently woken me up. Let's just get up and try to make some breakfast."

"Are you sure?"

"You are not going back to sleep, right?"

"No."

"Then let's get up."

They headed into the kitchen to take inventory of the supplies available. Rory was surprised at the selection of food. "What's all this stuff?"

"Luke has been here more often and he likes food that you have to put together and cook."

"Hmm."

"What should we make?"

"Do we know how to make anything?"

Not really. I guess we're back to frozen waffles." Lorelai reached into the freezer to get the frozen waffles and noticed some sausage links. "Oh, these would be good. How do we make these?"

"Well, I think we could fry them in a pan, but do you think they need to be thawed out first?"

Lorelai set down the waffles on the table and looked closer at the sausages to see if there were instructions. "I have no idea. We could just put them in the pan and see what happens."

"Alright, both of you out of the kitchen." Rory and Lorelai both looked up at the sound of Luke's voice.

"Oh, I was trying to let you sleep and we were going to make you breakfast."

"That must have been that sense of danger that I felt." He walked over and picked up the frozen waffle box. "This was going to be our Christmas morning breakfast?"

"Well, we were trying to figure out how to cook the sausages," Rory added with a small smile.

"I caught enough of that conversation to be frightened. I was planning to make breakfast. Wasn't that why I was invited?" he joked.

"Of course not, at least not the whole reason," said Lorelai with a smile. "So was there a plan?"

"Well, I know how you are all about the presents and I thought you wouldn't want to wait to open them…"

"God, you know me so well."

"So I thought that I could whip up a soufflé and put it in the oven. It needs to bake for an hour, so we could open presents while it's cooking."

"That's a great idea," Rory said as she grabbed the waffles and sausage to put them back in the freezer."

"Keep those out," Luke pointed at the sausages. "I'll show you how to cook them," he said with a wink.

"Wait, how come you'll teach her to cook, but not me?"

"Uh Luke, don't answer that," Rory said quickly.

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning to." He grinned and she realized that she was actually enjoying this.

After the soufflé was in the oven, they headed into the living room to open the presents. Rory noticed that Luke held back and waited patiently while she and her mom exchanged their gifts. He seemed amused just watching them squeal and giggle. When they were finished, Lorelai and Rory gave Luke a few small gifts, and then Luke and Lorelai exchanged their gifts. Rory watched them looking at each other so intensely and she started to feel like she was invading an intimate moment. Luke then shook himself out of his trance and reached over and handed Rory a box.

"Here, this is for you," he said shyly.

She took the box saying, "Luke, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to," he said simply.

She opened it carefully as Lorelai interrupted, "Come on Rory, it's just wrapping paper, rip it!"

Rory laughed as she glanced at her mom and then Luke. Luke was smiling softly, but there was some nervousness hidden there too. She tore off the paper and opened the small box. Inside was a silver bracelet with delicate beads. She looked up at him. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"It's one that my sister made. I saw it and thought it looked like you."

"You were right. I love it. Hey, I have one more thing for you."

"What? You guys already did enough."

"It's not a big deal, just something small. Here," she said as she handed him a small box.

He looked over at her curiously as he carefully unwrapped it. Lorelai looked surprised as well. She hadn't known about this gift. He opened the box to reveal a keychain with a baseball cap and a single key. "What's this?" he asked, honestly confused as Lorelai suddenly gasped.

"Oh my god, Rory, you didn't!"

Seeing the confused look on Luke's face, Rory said softly, "It's a key to the house so that you would know that you are always welcome, anytime."

He looked shocked, and then picked it up, noticing a note underneath. As he read it, Rory could see his face soften and then he said, "Thank you, this means a lot."

"Good, I'm glad." Rory thought she could see Luke blinking back tears as he showed the note to her mother and she ran the words through her mind one more time.

_Dear Luke,_

_Thank you for helping to make my mother happier than she has ever been. _

_I love you,_

_Rory_


	2. Emily

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note:** This is the second part of a three part Christmas story. This is written from Emily's point of view. I was having trouble writing Emily's point of view after recent episodes, but I made a change that seemed to help. I hope you like it.

* * *

**EMILY**

"Hello."

"Lorelai, it's your mother. I am calling to make plans for getting together for Christmas. I've talked to Richard about it and he would like to have you for drinks and appetizers and then you could have dinner here with me. What time would work best for you?"

"Well, before we make definite plans, I need to check with Rory and Luke."

Emily was taken aback. "Luke? Why do you need to check with Luke?"

"He's my boyfriend, mom. You remember that, right? That's why we had to do the whole re-meeting of him when we started dating."

"But what does that have to do with Christmas? Isn't he going to do Christmas with his family? I did talk to Rory about it and she said to work it out with you." Emily couldn't ever remember a time Lorelai had considered a man in her Christmas plans.

"Luke mentioned that he would like for us to get together with his sister Liz and her husband TJ at some point during the holidays. I just want to check with him about the plans for that. I'm sure that we can figure out a way to get together. I just don't want to make firm plans without talking to him."

"Is this Liz the mother of the hooligan?"

"Hooligan? Do you mean Jess?"

"Whatever his name was, that awful boy that Rory dated. I'll never understand what she saw in him."

"Well, amazing as it may seem, I think we actually agree on something."

"But you want to spend Christmas with his family?"

"I don't think Jess will be there, and I don't know if there are any definite plans yet. Let me just check with Luke."

"Well, far be it from me to expect you to spend time on Christmas with your family. You just give us a call and let us know how you can fit us around your boyfriend." Emily spat out the last word bitterly, the anger covering up the hurt she felt about Lorelai's priorities.

Lorelai sighed. "Fine, I'll talk to Luke and let you know at dinner. Bye, mom."

"Goodbye Lorelai."

* * *

"Lorelai, you haven't let me know about Christmas dinner plans. Do you think you will be able to fit your family in around your other commitments," Emily asked sarcastically.

"Yes, _we'd_ love to come for Christmas dinner, and I know that Rory already told you she could make it, so we'll _all_ see you here. Thank you for inviting us," Lorelai said with a sly smile.

Emily quickly picked up on the subtle message and said, "Oh, so your friend from the diner will be able to make it as well?"

"Yes mom, my _boyfriend_ Luke will be able to join us. He wanted to know if he could bring anything, like a dessert or something. He made the most fantastic ricotta cheesecake and amaretto cookies few weeks ago." Lorelai was smiling like she had just won a battle. Rory just looked a little baffled.

"Well, I'm quite sure that our maid will be able to make a sufficient dessert without having to have an invited guest cook their own meal."

"He just wanted to contribute something. He's not trying to insult your maid."

"Grandma, let Luke bring something. I haven't had a chance to have any of his gourmet cooking, and now we've got an inside connection," Rory pleaded, then smiled at her mother.

"Well okay, if you insist. Your grandfather will see you at 4:00 for drinks and we'll have dinner at 5:30."

"We'll be there, mom. Thanks for inviting us," Lorelai said sincerely. Emily wasn't sure she liked how happy Lorelai looked about Luke being included in the Christmas plans.

* * *

Emily heard a car drive up and looked across the patio at the pool house. These were her loneliest moments since the separation. She hated the thought that the girls were here but not with her. She felt every minute of the time while she was here, left out of whatever they talked about with Richard. To be honest, most of her life was lonely now. She found herself wondering how it had come to this, this purgatory of indecision, not together but not totally apart either. There were so many pieces to the unhappiness that it was hard to keep track of what had actually made her leave. She remembered times that she had been happiest with him, when they were the most important things in each other's lives. Then she remembered how quickly that had changed. He stopped consulting her about important decisions and spent all of his time working. She felt neglected and unimportant, no longer his partner, only his wife.

Emily wondered sometimes how much Pennilyn Lott had to do with the separation. She would like to think of herself as not being prone to petty jealousies, but she had been thrown for a loop upon finding out about Richard's secret lunches, and again after reading Trix's letter to Richard. She remembered the most painful words:

_I don't know the circumstances surrounding your breakup with Pennilyn Lott, but it is still my belief that she is much better suited for you than Emily. I know that the timing of this is particularly awkward, since you are to be married tomorrow. But your happiness is too important to me, so timing be damned._

Remembering it made it fresh again and she knew that it was a piece of this tragedy, a part of the reason she suddenly felt less important to him than he was to her. The final straw had been the way that he had dealt with Jason and Floyd. Though she had never liked Jason and certainly did not want him with Lorelai, he had been treated despicably, and Emily really had been afraid about what it might do to their relationship with the girls. The bond that they shared with Rory and especially Lorelai was tenuous and constantly strained, yet it had become so important now that she and Richard were separated.

She looked back across the patio again and could see Rory, Lorelai and Luke ushered in and offered drinks. She wondered if Richard felt the same loneliness that she felt when the girls were with her. She wondered if he missed her as much as she missed him. She thought for a moment and then got her coat and headed to the pool house. No one should have to be lonely on Christmas.

* * *

"Emily, what are you doing here?" asked Richard, with a slight tone of annoyance.

"Well, I was over at the house watching Henrietta prepare a huge amount of food for us and it didn't seem right for you to stay over here by yourself while we were eating Christmas dinner. I came to ask if you wanted to join us for dinner. And this isn't just me trying to take the girls away before you've had time with them. Continue with your drinks and come on over in about an hour." Emily realized that she was babbling a bit, but she had not strung that many words together in a conversation with Richard in quite a while.

He seemed surprised at the invitation and Emily noticed Rory, Lorelai and Luke exchanging glances as well. Richard hesitated before answering, "That sounds nice." He then looked at her and said, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure we can be civil for a few hours."

"In that case, you should join us for drinks."

"If you're sure that I wouldn't be intruding."

"Of course not. It is Christmas after all."

"Yes, it is."

Lorelai then interrupted her parents and said, "If we're all going to hang out together, should we adjourn to the main house?"

"Yes, why don't we do that," answered Richard. "If that meets your approval, of course?" he continued, looking at Emily.

"That would be nice."

It took them a few minutes to move their party to the house. They all gathered in the living room. Emily noticed that Luke placed his hand on the small of Lorelai's back as they walked into the living room. Once they were seated on the couch, he took her hand and gently caressed it with his thumb. Lorelai looked at him and smiled. Emily was surprised at how intimate they were. She hadn't seen them together since they had come to dinner the first time, when they had both been tense and nervous. They seemed so much more comfortable with each other now. It was unnerving. Even though Emily had always seen a spark between them, now that they were dating she couldn't help but wish that Lorelai was with someone with more…something.

"Lorelai, what is new at your inn?" asked Richard.

"New, well hmm… new horse feed? Oh, I know! We have a new laundry policy. It was suggested by a guest."

"A laundry policy?" questioned Emily.

"It's the funniest thing. We get to save money and be environmentally conscious at the same time. We put little notes in the rooms that if guests are willing to use their towels again they should hang them up and otherwise they leave them on the floor and we will wash them. We save time and money, because most people don't care or they actually care about the environment. Gotta love those win-win situations."

"You mean you don't wash their towels?" asked Emily.

"Only if they choose it. You know, it's like at home, when you don't wash your towels every day."

"People really choose to keep their dirty towels?"

"Yeah, and it's kind of interesting to see who chooses to wash or not. I was filling in for one of the maids who was sick last week and I sort of did a little research project to figure out who are the most environmentally conscious guests. It turns out-"

"You were filling in for the maid?" Emily was horrified.

"Yes, well she was sick and our other maid was on vacation, so we all helped out a bit."

"Lorelai, you are the owner. You shouldn't have to do those kinds of menial tasks."

"You know, I was a maid for several years. That's how I got to where I am now. It's no big deal to help out now and then."

"Please don't remind me about how you made a living after running away from us," Emily said distastefully, covering up the pain she felt when she thought about the way Lorelai had been willing to live rather than being at home. "Does this happen often, where you have to do other people's jobs?"

"Occasionally. Since we are new we can't really afford temps when we are short staffed, so we just pitch in to do what needs to be done. The other day I was waitressing at dinner. That was kind of fun. I even got tips," she said with a giggle as she smirked at Luke and Rory. They seemed to be sharing a private joke.

"Lorelai, this isn't funny. These are not proper jobs for you. You are the owner and above that sort of thing. I can't imagine what would make you think that it is appropriate for you to wait on people like that, like a common serving girl." She heard Luke draw in his breath sharply and realized that was exactly what he did every day. Just one more reason he was not appropriate for Lorelai.

She hadn't realized how quiet the room had become until Richard spoke, attempting to change the subject, "So Luke, I asked you before and you didn't get at chance to tell me whether you've given any more thought to franchising your diner?"

Luke frowned slightly and Lorelai squeezed his hand. "Well, I 'm pretty satisfied with operating a single location right now. It keeps me busy, especially the way that these two eat," he said, trying to lighten the tension in the room with the joke.

Emily cut in, "But surely you don't plan to run that diner by yourself permanently do you? You must want to move beyond flipping hamburgers and serving coffee, don't you?" How could he possibly be satisfied with that? Did he really think that Lorelai would be satisfied with someone with so little ambition? Emily could see Lorelai about to make a sharp retort and saw Luke squeeze her hand and look at her pleadingly. To her amazement, Lorelai sighed and was silent, but not before glaring at her mother.

Rory broke the silence with an attempt to change the subject, "So Grandpa, how is the insurance business?" The conversation then veered off into the more comfortable territory of Richard's business and Rory at Yale.

During dinner, Rory and Richard shared the story about the prank played on Logan and Emily found herself thinking how relieved she was that Rory was finally making some connections with appropriate young men. She had been devastated to find out that she was back with Dean earlier this fall. It had precipitated the party that had so angered Lorelai, but had actually accomplished the goal. Rory broke up with Dean and from all accounts was spending more time with Logan and his friends. Emily felt quite justified in her attempts in that respect. It was what made her feel so frustrated about Lorelai's choice of Luke, and even more determined for Lorelai to see the mistake she was making.

Emily noticed that Lorelai occasionally laughed while Richard and Rory told their story, but was quiet and withdrawn. Both Emily and Richard told Rory how happy they were that she was friendly with Logan and his group of friends. Lorelai frowned at these comments, but with a look at Luke kept silent. Emily was impressed at how easily he calmed her, but disturbed by the amount of influence he obviously had over her behavior. It wasn't until later in the conversation that she burst out, "Hey, Mom, Dad, Rory can be friends with and date whoever she wants."

"Of course she can," Emily responded, trying to be diplomatic. "We just want her to have the opportunity to make meet some of the more prestigious families that she missed meeting while she was growing up. Surely you don't want keep her from making connections that will ultimately be good for her future."

Lorelai groaned with what sounded like frustration, "It's just you like to turn this around and make it my fault so as to justify meddling in her life."

"She obviously doesn't seem to mind our encouragement, so I don't understand why you do." Emily looked at Rory as she said this and saw that she looked torn by conflicting loyalties to her mother and grandparents.

"Hey, everyone, it has been great being at Yale and having the opportunity to meet and hang out with all different people, but before you all go pairing me off, let me get to know them." As she said this she looked pointedly all around the table and effectively ended all conversation on that topic.

Eventually things lightened up a bit with Lorelai sharing stories of humorous happenings at the inn. Emily was relieved to see her animated again. Though she was constantly amazed and sometimes annoyed at what she would babble on about, she really was quite beautiful when she was smiling. Luke seemed more relaxed too, just watching Lorelai and smiling. Emily had noticed throughout the night that they were often holding hands or touching the others knee or arm. When they weren't close enough for that, they were still totally aware of each other's presence. They did seem to have an uncanny connection, that encompassed the quiet mood of earlier and Lorelai's playfulness now.

"Is it time for dessert yet?" she asked eagerly. "You guys are going to love what Luke brought!"

"Shall I go help to bring it out?" Luke asked nervously.

"Of course not," Emily snapped. "You are a guest here. Henrietta is perfectly capable of serving it."

"Whoa mom, chill. He was just offering to help."

"It's fine. No problem," he said, continuing his peacemaking.

Rory again jumped in to break the tension, "So what did you make for us, Luke?"

"Mocha cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and a chocolate sauce too, because your mother insisted."

"Wow, that sounds fabulous, and mom's not the only one who likes chocolate."

"See, I told you," Lorelai said as she playfully hit Luke's arm. "And look, here it is!"

Everyone was soon busy digging into their desserts. Luke brushed off compliments shyly, but smiled as he watched Rory and Lorelai happily eating their cheesecake.

Emily turned to him and said, "Lorelai tells us that you are quite a gourmet cook on occasion. Have you considered changing the menu of your restaurant? You might attract a higher class clientele than you can with burgers and fries."

Lorelai frowned at the question, but Luke looked thoughtful. "The problem is that there aren't many high class patrons in a town like Stars Hollow. I can make a lot more money selling diner food than I could running a fancier restaurant. Besides, with the Dragonfly open now, any fancy restaurant would be a direct competitor, which would get me in trouble with the owner." He said this last part with a smile at Lorelai, who grinned and kissed him on the cheek.

Across the table, Rory laughed and said, "And you don't want to get on my mom's bad side."

"Certainly not," he said with a knowing grin.

Emily continued her questioning, "Would you ever consider a different location? There are certainly enough people in Hartford to support a high quality restaurant."

"I really can't see myself leaving Stars Hollow. I've been there all my life and everything that is important to me is there." He glanced quickly at Lorelai and Rory before continuing, "especially now that my sister has moved back to town as well."

"Besides," said Lorelai, "the town wouldn't be the same without Luke's Diner. I'm honestly not sure that it could function," she said with a smile while she gave Luke's arm a gentle squeeze. "At least I couldn't without the coffee."

Emily was feeling desperate. She was even more convinced now that Luke was not an appropriate man for Lorelai. He had no ambition, no desire to see anything beyond the bounds of Stars Hollow. He could only hold her back and keep her in that tiny, crazy town. She mused on this, trying to figure out what she could possibly do now.

They went back to the living room to have after-dinner drinks and to open presents. As Richard began to make drinks, Emily casually said, "So Lorelai, I understand that Christopher's wife left him with the baby and that he has been in town lately."

Lorelai answered warily, "Yes, that's true."

"So you have seen him?"

"Once or twice, but he seems to be doing fine. I haven't seen him in over a month actually." She held Luke's hand firmly as if to reassure him.

"Well, it's so nice that he can depend on you and Rory. I always thought he made the wrong decision leaving you to stay with that woman. Now maybe things can work out for the best." It was her last desperate attempt to knock some sense into Lorelai's head. She needed to at least know what her options were.

"How dare you," Lorelai fumed, her face pale with anger. Luke seemed too baffled by the conversation to calm Lorelai this time.

"Well, really isn't it obvious? Hmm," she said looking into the ice bucket, "I need to go to the kitchen for some more ice." She then walked out leaving the group in stunned silence.

In the kitchen, Emily reached to open the freezer as Lorelai stormed in, "How dare you talk like that in front of Luke. He is my boyfriend. What could possibly make you bring up Christopher in front of him?"

"Luke is a very nice man Lorelai, but you deserve someone you could have a future with. I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy with _Luke_ and it really hurts that you are so blind to me that you can't see that. I thought that you would be pleased that I was finally in a real committed relationship. I know that he is not the son of one of your blue-blood friends, but I don't care because he is wonderful and kind and he is there for me all the time." Lorelai was so angry that she didn't realize she was shouting, "He's the one. I love him, Mom. I want to marry him and have a family. I'd like to do it right this time, with you and Dad involved. I want the whole package, and I want it with him."

"And you're sure that he wants that too?" asked Emily sharply.

Lorelai's reply was softer, but still firm, "We haven't talked about the marriage and family part. Neither one of us is great with words, but I know he loves me without him saying it."

"He hasn't told you he loves you?" Emily asked in surprise, although she had to admit that it was obvious to any close observer that he was completely in love with her.

"It doesn't matter what he says, "Lorelai answered, her voice raising again. "I know that he loves me."

"How do you know if he hasn't told you?"

"Because he's here, "yelled Lorelai. "He's sitting here listening to you and Dad dropping your subtle and not so subtle hints about how he's not good enough for me, but he's here because he loves me. Mom, there is something you need to understand. When I came to you for money for Chilton and we started having Friday night dinners, I was miserable coming here and being judged unworthy by you on a weekly basis. But I swallowed my pride and did it for Rory because I love her. At first, it was because I wanted her to have the opportunity to have what Chilton offered. After a while, it was because I could see how important it was for her to have a relationship with you and Dad. I don't regret it at all, but it has been so hard to be reminded of your continued disappointment in me. I won't let you do that to Luke. He's too important to me. You are doing exactly what Gran did to you for all those years. I know how much that hurt you. How can you turn around and do the same thing to Luke?"

"It's not the same situation at all," Emily said, but deep down she knew that it was.

"It is exactly the same situation. Much as it torments me at times, I want you and Dad to be in our lives. If I have more kids I want them to grow up knowing you. But I want to make something clear. Luke is the one. If you can't accept Luke then I can't give you the rest of the package. I can't stand to let him go through what you did for so many years with Gran. I know how much it hurt you to find that letter and know that she wanted Dad to be with Pennilyn Lott. But you waving Christopher around in front of Luke is _exactly_ the same thing. I won't let you do that to him. I love him too much to put him through that." She then turned and left the room, leaving Emily to make the connections between herself and Luke.

As Emily watched Lorelai leave the room, she realized the one difference between her situation with Richard's mother and that with Luke and Lorelai. Lorelai was willing to stand up to her over Luke, and Emily couldn't remember a time that Richard had been willing to do that for her. A renewed sense of loss and loneliness washed over her and she followed Lorelai out of the kitchen.

"Lorelai, wait -" she started, but stopped when she saw them. Luke and Lorelai were standing in the dining room looking at each other and she knew that at that moment the rest of the world had fallen away and they were not aware of anyone or anything else.

Luke touched his forehead to Lorelai's for a moment and then looked her in the eye and spoke. They were speaking so softly that Emily couldn't make out the words. He leaned in to kiss her, then looked at her again and smiled. Emily was struck by the intimacy of the moment and remembered with pain that she and Richard used to look at each other like that. She heard a sound across the room and looked up to see Rory watching her mom and Luke with a content smile.

After a moment, Lorelai looked up and saw both her mother and Rory. She looked at her mother and said, "We are going to leave now. Feel free to open the presents without us. Rory came separately, so of course she'll stay if she chooses to."

Emily started to protest, but saw the quiet anger in Lorelai's face and said instead, "I understand. I do appreciate you coming and thank you for the dessert, Luke."

As they headed to get their coats, Emily looked questioningly at Rory, who said, "I think I'll be going too. I'm meeting Paris soon. I'm going to say goodbye to Grandpa."

Emily stood back in the entryway while Luke and Lorelai said quick goodbyes to Rory and Richard.

As they were walking out the door, Luke turned and said, "Rory, thanks again for your gift. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you appreciate it." Rory then walked over to give her grandparents hugs and to say goodbye.

Emily looked at Rory and said, "Thank you for coming. I'm sorry the party broke up this way."

"I'm sorry too."

"Rory, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Grandma."

"What did you give Luke, if you don't mind my asking?"

Rory looked Emily right in the eye and said, "Acceptance. Now if you'll excuse me as well, I'm going to get going." She turned to leave, then stopped and turned around, "Grandma, thank you for having Grandpa at dinner."

* * *

When the door shut behind Rory, Emily began to process what had happened and what had been said. She caught Richard looking at her from across the room, concern and curiosity on his face. She knew that he had heard most of her conversation with Lorelai and tried to gauge his reaction to it. He took a few steps toward her and asked, "What was that Lorelai said about Pennilyn Lott and my mother? Why would that come up in a conversation about she and Luke? Do you want to talk about it?"

Emily heard the softness in his voice and wanted to lean in and let him wrap his arms around her. She wanted to go back several years and pretend that all of the neglect and unhappiness had never happened. But it had, and Richard's confusion about how his mother could come up in a conversation about not accepting someone's significant other snapped her back to reality. Because in reality this was the man who had neglected her, who had lied to her, and who had failed to stand up to his mother over her mistreatment of Emily. "No thank you. If you can't make the connection, I don't want to make it for you. I think that I would like to be alone now. Thank you for coming to dinner."

He looked sad and confused for a moment, then regained his composure and said politely, "Thank you for inviting me, and Emily?" She caught her breath when he said her name. "Merry Christmas. I had a nice time."

Emily watched the door close behind him and went into the living room. The first thing that she saw was the pile of unopened presents. On top was a flat package with her name on it. She turned over the tag and was surprised to see 'From, Luke' written on the back. Tears welled in her eyes as she placed the package back on the pile, remembering Lorelai's quiet anger as she left. In the empty living room and silent house, Emily had never felt more alone in her entire life.

**

* * *

Author's Note:** The last chapter will be Luke's point of view and it will hopefully be posted within a day or two.


	3. Luke

**Disclaimer:** These characters are owned by the WB, Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.

**Author's Note:** This is the third part of a three-part Christmas story. This chapter is written from Luke's point of view. Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews. I hope you like how this ends.

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* * *

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**LUKE**

He looks at her sleeping on his bed in his apartment and marvels at his life. It's moments like these that make him think about how far they have come. There is something about watching her sleep there, so comfortable and content. He loves that they have developed a morning routine. It's wonderful to start his workday and think about her still being there, a part of his life, a part of his home. He looks forward to seeing her again, when she comes down for breakfast. This has become their routine more and more often, their lives gradually melding, in small bits so that the changes are not noticeable until he reflects on how different it is since the first time.

He thinks back to their "first" date, or what she would call their first date, since he still thinks of Liz's wedding as their first date. There was a quality to that night that reminded him of a conversation he and Lorelai had over a game of poker.

"_God that's nice," she had said._

"_Yep."_

"_The whole 'first date, beginning of the relationship' glow - everything is new and exciting."_

"_Every joke is hilarious."_

"_Every little touch is incredible."_

"_Mm-hmm."_

"_God that's a good feeling."_

There was something about having known each other for so long and having waited all summer for their first official date that made the night seem that much more special. There wasn't a question about whether or not there would be a second date, but that didn't make the boundary between friendship and dating any less frightening. There was a level of uncertainty about what they were now and what they would become that was hanging over them, adding mystery to the night that was both magical and unnerving.

"_Lorelai, this thing we're doing here - me, you - I just want you to know I'm in. I am all in. Does that, uh - are you, uh, scared?"_

Luke said those words – those very scary words, knowing what her answer had to be. Of course she was scared. He himself was terrified, and if anything she was more afraid of relationships than he was, so he was prepared for her to be scared. He didn't ask the question to find out if she was scared. He asked to find out if she would tell him that she was. So he waited and watched to find out how much she trusted him.

Lorelai looked down, blushing, trying to collect herself. Very slowly she lifted her head and smiled as she nodded ever so slightly, carefully watching for his reaction.

He smiled and said quietly, "Me too." There was a moment of shared relief that they had both admitted their fear.

Lorelai then reached for Luke's hand and said, "But I want this." With the curtain of uncertainty lifted a bit, there was a brief comfort and they were silent for a few moments as Luke squeezed her hand. They were interrupted by Buddy, bringing their salads, and the tension was broken. The rest of dinner passed with the kind of friendly banter and flirting that they were more used to, though with the occasional touch on his arm or her knee to remind them both that this was a date.

As they left, Luke placed his hand on Lorelai's back to lead her to the truck. She turned to face him as he unlocked her door, "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"It was really nice to meet Maisie and Buddy. Thanks for sharing this place with me," she said softly.

"Well, I wanted them to meet you." He hesitated, looking her in the eye, desperately wanting to kiss her.

Lorelai reached up and pulled Luke to her and gave him a soft kiss. After a moment, she pulled away and looked at him, her mouth curving into a small smile. Luke bent his head to kiss her gently and his hands reached for her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, as his hands wrapped more tightly around her back. The kiss grew more passionate as they pressed tightly together. Lorelai was soon pushed against the truck, and Luke brought his hands up to her face and tangled them in her hair. Finally they pulled apart to catch their breath and Luke found himself shocked by the intensity of the kiss.

Lorelai was the first to speak. "Wow," she said quietly.

"Yeah."

She smiled then and asked, "So what's next in your plan for the evening?"

"Well, if things were going well I was going to ask you back for coffee."

"So…?"

"Would you like some coffee?" he asked with a smile.

"But of course…. So, are you inviting me back to the diner or back to your apartment? You weren't specific."

"I was planning to play it by ear. What do you think?"

"Well," she said, with a wide grin, "I would really like you to kiss me like that again. So, unless you're okay with doing that in the diner, we should probably go to your apartment."

"Well, okay then," he answered with a grin.

"You don't have to look so pleased with yourself," she said slapping him lightly on the chest, as she turned to climb into the truck.

When they got back to the diner, Luke quickly prepared a cup of coffee for Lorelai and a cup of tea for himself. They climbed the stairs quietly and once inside, Lorelai set down her coffee on the table before taking off her coat and throwing it across the back of the sofa. Luke sat down on the couch, expecting her to join him, but she picked up her coffee and walked slowly around the apartment.

"You know I think that the last time I was up here was when we went to break the bells. I never did get a chance to tease you about the Mega-Man protein powder. I guess with the strangeness of that night and all I kind of forgot about it. I wonder if there is still some here."

Luke watched her walking and babbling and knew that those were signs that she was nervous and trying to hide it. He knew her well enough to know he needed to be patient and wait for her to adjust to the new situation. She continued her pacing and commentary and part of him liked just listening to the sound of her voice without even making sense of the words.

"Luke, what's that?" The change in tone shook him out of his trance.

"What?"

"That," she said, pointing at his bed.

"It's my bed," he said, trying to ignore the unspoken part of her question.

"It's a double bed. When did you . . . Why did you . . . " her voice trailed off. She sounded as if she wasn't sure she wanted an answer.

Luke came up behind her and whispered, "Someone once told me that having a single bed means that there is no room in your life for anyone else. That isn't true and I wouldn't want anyone I might be dating to get the wrong idea." Her put his hands gently on her bare shoulders. "It doesn't mean that there are any expectations. I don't want you to feel any pressure." She tensed and he said, "Are you okay?"

She turned in his arms and for a fraction of a second before she smiled, he saw a look of fear. "I'm just overwhelmed by the presence of such a sexy guy so close to me," she said jokingly, but unable to hide the nervousness in her voice. She reached up and pulled him into a kiss, which gradually got more intense. Luke started to get drawn into the feel of her lips and then remembered what he had seen in her eyes. He realized with surprise that this was just one more way that Lorelai hid from herself. He had never been in a position to witness this particular form of avoidance and he pulled away reluctantly.

"What?"

"Lorelai, hold on a second."

"What's wrong, I thought you liked kissing me," she said with a flirty pout. "Trust me, I'll make it worth your while," she teased and gently stroked the side of his face. God she was good. Luke was struck with the knowledge that this was how she kept men at arms length. Flirting and sex covered up a multitude of fears and kept emotions from coming too close to the surface. Luke was not going to let her keep him at arms length.

"You're nervous." It wasn't a question.

"I am not."

"Yes you are, and you are trying to hide it, which you do very well, by the way."

"Apparently not well enough," she joked wryly.

"Lorelai, tell me what's going on. If there is something bothering you, I can't just ignore it." She looked down at that, avoiding his eyes. "Is it about the bed? I really don't expect -"

"It's not just that, I mean maybe a little, but I think I just wasn't fully prepared for how serious this was going to be." He must have tensed or something, because she immediately corrected herself. "That's not what I meant. Us being together is different from any relationship I've been in. We already know each other well and care about each other. I like that it's different and I want it to be different, but it's scary. I'm so afraid of hurting you."

"What? Why?" As he asked this he took her hand and led her over to the couch where they sat down facing each other.

"I don't have a great history with relationships. It seems like I always end up hurting someone and I can't hurt you. You mean too much to me." While speaking, she looked down at her lap, where she played with his hands nervously.

His heart melted at hearing the pain in her voice. "Is that what you are afraid of, hurting me?" She nodded and he continued, "I'm a big boy, Lorelai. Don't worry about me. We're in this together. I know that this is a big change for us, but if we both want it and we agree to be honest with each other, isn't that the best we can do?" He paused and then said, "We do both want this, right?"

She lifted her eyes to his, "Yes, Luke. I definitely want this." She kept her eyes on his so long that he looked down to escape the intensity of her gaze. He almost didn't hear the question she asked next, "Luke, what are you afraid of?"

He looked at her, lifting his hand to her cheek, "Of waking up and finding out that all of this has been a dream."

"What? Why?"

"Lorelai, I've wanted to be with you for a long time. Ever since we kissed, I've been waiting for us to actually be able to start this relationship and now that we are here, together, I just really don't want to lose you."

"I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere," she answered, leaning over to kiss him on the lips before pulling back to look him in the eye.

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for not letting me hide."

"You're pretty good at it. You almost had me."

"Should I worry about the fact that it didn't work on you?"

"Why?"

"It doesn't mean you aren't attracted to me, does it?"

He looked at her in shock. She couldn't honestly think that, could she? But he looked in her eyes and saw uncertainty. "Oh my God, no. It means . . . this isn't just a fling to me. I want more than that."

"I do too," she said tentatively.

"Good."

"So Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Does that mean that you don't want to practice fling-like behavior with me?" she teased, the old Lorelai back in true form.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Has your bed been christened yet?" When she realized what she had asked, a look of apprehension crossed her face at the possibility of being wrong.

"No," he said as relief flooded her face.

"Would you like to?" she asked, playful again.

He continued the teasing, "Are you offering?"

"Only if you want to." She tried to be nonchalant.

"Yes, I want that." His voice had lost all playfulness. "But promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"I don't want you to regret it in the morning."

"I won't."

"Good then."

"Finally. My God, the work," She laughed as she leaned in to kiss him.

That night had the magical quality of newness and mystery. It was romantic and intimate with the safety net of friendship. They had shared their thoughts and fears and his new bed. He smiled remembering that. Their lovemaking had been slow and gentle as they took time discovering each other's bodies. He mentally took note of the touches that pleased her most, always asking with his eyes before exploring further. It was a wonderful night, but with the happiness came the tension of getting to know each other. He preferred the quiet comfort of their current routine over the tension and uncertainty of that first night.

Glancing over at Lorelai sleeping in his bed, he knows he loves her and is surprised at how easily that thought comes to his mind. He hasn't told her and he'll say its because he doesn't want to scare her. But that isn't totally it. He is waiting for her, waiting for a signal that she is 'all in' too. She hasn't given him any reason to think that she isn't, but there is a stubborn part of him that doesn't want to throw all of himself into this relationship without knowing she is all there too. He has observed the downfall of too many of her relationships to see the ways in which this one is different. He is too involved to see what others see, to see how comfortable and natural they are as a couple, to see how easily they fit into each other's lives.

* * *

"Look at how my fabulous daughter gives us privacy for our goodnight kiss! Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Lorelai said before pulling him in for a kiss, running her hands up and down his back. His hands were on her waist and unconsciously his thumbs began doing small circles on her belly and his fingers gently caressed her back. Lorelai leaned into him and started to pull him upstairs, but he pulled away.

"I can't stay. Not with Rory here."

"Luke, she said it's okay. Don't you want to stay with me?" Lorelai pouted.

"Lorelai, don't do this. You know I want to be with you, but I don't want to intrude with you and Rory."

"Okay. I don't quite get it. I won't fight with you about this now, but we are together and I don't want to stop being together when Rory is around." Lorelai gave him one more kiss and then pulled away and said with a forced grin, "Now go, before I start to rip off your clothes."

Luke squeezed her hand, before turning to leave. On the walk home, he tried to make sense of the night. He had been reluctant to join them for the movie, never wanting to interfere with Lorelai and Rory's girl time, but Lorelai had pleaded, and try as he might he was hopeless in the face of that. Lorelai had been happy to have them all together, and he hoped that she had been oblivious to the way that he and Rory had covered up their discomfort. It was hard to not feel like the odd man out when Lorelai and Rory were together. Their bond was freakishly strong and there were times when he felt as though they totally forgot he was there. At some point, Lorelai did manage to snuggle up to him, but it was impossible to forget that Rory was there. He thought that she genuinely wanted to be comfortable with her mom's relationship, but something was getting in the way. In spite of her friendly words all evening and her permission to stay the night, he could see the relief in her eyes when he refused. He was saddened by the tension he had felt all night, but encouraged by the fact that Rory did seem like she was trying. He and Rory both had some issues to work out and as with all things Gilmore, patience seemed to be the right approach.

* * *

Luke watched silently as Lorelai opened his gift. She had been giddy all morning, thrilled with her stuffed stocking and pile of gifts. She and Rory had opened their gifts to each other first, while Luke watched. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement that those gifts between the 'girls' should be first. When Rory and Lorelai had made it through their pile, giggling and hugging and screaming, it was his turn. He had opened some presents himself and then given Rory the bracelet he had chosen for her. The gifts from the two of them could have been predicted, a flannel shirt from Rory, and some kitchen utensils from Lorelai.

"To keep here," she said.

"So they are actually a gift for you?"

"You don't actually think I will use them, do you?"

"So the idea is that I'm supposed to come over here and cook for you?" He asked dryly.

"Well yeah, but I'll be very grateful," she said as she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Eww, daughter sitting right here," interrupted Rory and they all laughed together.

As the laughter died down, Luke slid a box toward Lorelai, "Open this one now," he said quietly, suddenly feeling very solemn.

She caught his mood and it made her nervous. She slowly unwrapped and opened the box. She gasped as she pulled out a beautiful wooden jewelry box. She opened the small drawers on the front and then lifted the lid, looking closer as she did so at a small inscription carved in the corner. He had debated the wording for the entire length of the project, finally settling on the simplest:

For Lorelai

Love, Luke

She read it then looked at him, "Oh my god Luke. You made this?" He nodded slightly and she went on, "You made this for me. It's beautiful!" Her awe made her speechless and he loved that he had surprised her.

Most of Luke's projects had been more practical, things like shelves and bookcases. This had been his most delicate project ever, little drawers and compartments all lined in soft velvet the color of Lorelai's eyes. He had stolen away from the diner between lunch and dinner several times a week to work on it, leaving at the times she was least likely to stop by.

Her stunned silence was broken when Rory came over to look at the gift and give an approving look at Luke. While Lorelai went to get another box from under the tree, Rory looked at Luke and said quietly, "So, any plans to fill that box?"

Luke was saved from having to answer by Lorelai handing him a large box shyly, "So, this is for you. I hope you like it."

Luke unwrapped and opened the box, feeling Lorelai's intense gaze on him. She looked like she was holding her breath. He reached into the box and pulled out a quilt, made entirely out of plaid flannel. He knew suddenly that she had made it and then looking more carefully said, "These are my shirts."

"Mom, you stole his shirts?" Rory asked, incredulous.

"These were in the bag of shirts that were missing buttons or had small tears. I know that I said I would fix them, but then I got this idea and it seemed better. And you did say that if I didn't get around to fixing them that I should give them to Goodwill. Are you mad? Please don't be mad."

"Mad? Are you kidding? Lorelai, this is the best gift I have ever gotten. I can't believe that you made me a quilt."

"Well you made me a jewelry box."

"But when, how did you find the time?"

"Well, you know those nights when you have early deliveries and don't stay over? Pretty much then. Now that I'm done I was hoping that we could stay together more often."

Luke was speechless. This was the signal he had been waiting for. It was time.

* * *

As they headed to the Gilmore house for Christmas dinner, Luke asked nervously, "Your Dad is going to ask me about franchising the diner again, isn't he?"

"Well, it's impossible to predict the lunacy that will occur at a Gilmore dinner, but that is just the kind of ridiculous thing that my parents would bring up. You know, they are not capable of letting someone decide themselves what they want to do with their lives."

"Or they just want me to expand the business so that I am good enough to deserve you."

"You're already better than I deserve. If they would just get to know you," Lorelai sounded sad, then said, "They never approve of anything that makes me happy. I just hope they don't make this whole night miserable."

"I'm sure it will be fine."

"I apologize in advance for whatever they do to make you feel less than you are."

"I feel a little more prepared after the last encounters with your parents. I'll try not to let them get to me. So, we're getting close, let me get this straight. We are doing drinks with your father in the pool house and then dinner with your mother?"

"Yep, that's pretty much been the modus operandi the last few months."

Wow, so your dad has been living in the pool house this whole time?" When Lorelai nodded, he shook his own head and said, "Rich people do the strangest things."

"You have no idea."

Rory arrived just as they pulled into the driveway, so they all walked toward the pool house together. As they entered, Luke bent down and whispered into Lorelai's ear, "This is the pool house? I'd like to see what your parents would build if they had a dog."

Richard greeted everyone politely and offered drinks. Once they had sat down and Robert had brought out some appetizers, Richard looked at Luke and asked, "So, have you given any more thought to franchising your diner?"

Luke glanced at Lorelai and Rory with a grimace and noticed that both of them were struggling to keep from laughing. Luke sighed and began, "Uh-" He was interrupted by a knock on the door and stopped with relief.

Richard looked up with surprise. "Who could that be? Surely your mother is not trying to steal you away before we've even started." He walked to the door and opened it to find Emily, looking somewhat nervous.

The evening had gone pretty much as expected. There were questions from Richard and little digs from Emily. He knew they didn't approve of his profession or think that he was good enough for Lorelai, but he was determined not to ruin this holiday for her. He tried to let the comments roll off his back and give reassuring looks to Lorelai to keep her from making a scene. He smiled when Rory successfully changed the subject and deflected the attention from him. By the end of dinner, it felt almost relaxing, listening to Lorelai's amusing stories about the inn. She had been quiet all night, so it was nice to finally see her animated, with her beautiful eyes bright.

It was in those more comfortable moments that Luke was able to watch the elder Gilmores more carefully. Lorelai hadn't shared many details about what had gone wrong between her parents, but it was clear that they were both very aware of each other all night. They were polite and considerate toward one another and he could see them watching each other, when they thought the other wasn't looking. On just a few occasions, he saw them share a small smile and he saw a spark that told him clearly how much they still cared for each other. Without knowing the details of their separation, he could tell that they had not talked about it, each stubbornly waiting for the other to make a move. Yes, he knew exactly from where Lorelai had gotten her stubborn streak.

Dessert had passed pleasantly enough, with Luke shyly accepting compliments for his cooking. It was as they entered the living room for after-dinner drinks that Emily dropped her bombshell about Christopher, making it clear who her preferred potential son-in-law was. Luke was so shocked by her outright rudeness that he was not able to prevent Lorelai from leaping to rage and storming out of the room after her mother.

He and Rory and Richard just looked at each other in silence. Rory looked pained and Richard looked uncomfortable. He broke the silence by saying, "Luke would you like a -" but stopped when he heard Lorelai's voice yelling in the other room.

"_He's the one. I love him, Mom. I want to marry him and have a family. I'd like to do it right this time, with you and Dad involved. I want the whole package, and I want it with him."_

The voices were quieter then and Luke could not pick up what they were saying. Rory looked at him with a warm smile, and he blushed deeply. He avoided looking at Richard. He didn't want to know his reaction to Lorelai's words. They sat in this uncomfortable silence for a few more moments until Lorelai's voice again came through clearly.

"_It doesn't matter what he says, I know that he loves me."_

At that Rory gave him an outright grin. As Lorelai continued yelling in the other room, he could hear the pain in her voice and could suddenly only think of comforting her. He got up slowly and was about to excuse himself, when he heard Lorelai mention her grandmother and saw Richard's jaw drop. It was as though a realization struck him, and Luke wondered how big a part this might have played in their separation.

As he walked toward the dining room, he heard Lorelai's words even more clearly.

I know how much it hurt you to find that letter and know that she wanted Dad to be with Pennilyn Lott. But you waving Christopher around in front of Luke is exactly the same thing. I won't let you do that to him. I love him too much to put him through that."

She entered the dining room and as they walked toward each other, Luke saw the sadness in her eyes. He reached his hands up to the sides of her face and gently wiped a single tear from her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm sorry," she said looking him in the eye.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" he asked softly.

Lorelai answered, "This isn't how you should have heard that. It should have been special somehow. I should have told you earlier. And you shouldn't have had to hear it in a fight with my mother. I just couldn't stand by while she brought up Christopher."

Luke leaned toward her and touched his forehead to hers. "You don't have to apologize for her." After a pause, he continued, "You were right, you know."

"About what?"

"I love you, with everything I have." He followed this with a tender kiss, then pulled away to look at her.

Lorelai looked back at him, her eyes shining, "Can you please take me home now?"

* * *

Luke and Lorelai barely spoke on the drive to Stars Hollow. It was as if speaking would take away the words that had been said. By unspoken agreement, she drove them back to her house and they got out of the car and headed inside. As Lorelai reached to open the door, Luke touched her arm.

"Wait," he said as he fumbled with his own keys, finally finding the one he was looking for. He grinned at her as he unlocked the door with his key and held it open. "I've been wanting to break that in all day."

"I guess that makes you officially a part of the family," Lorelai said quietly as she leaned in to kiss him softly, then wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in more tightly. She pulled away long enough to murmur, "I've been wanting to do that all day."

"No complaints here," Luke replied, sliding his hands around her waist to the small of her back and holding her close.

* * *

Later, as they lay in bed, with their feelings of love properly demonstrated, Luke turned on his side toward Lorelai and said in a teasing tone, "So, kids huh?"

He had been playing back in his head a conversation from two years earlier.

"_I know, but. . .although I'm quite happy going an entire day without having to deal with somebody else's bodily functions, if I ever happen to meet the right person. . .well, it would be a discussion."_

"_A discussion."_

"_Yes. Probably a short discussion, but still . . . So what about you – you ever think about having another kid?"_

"_Oh, I don't know how much fun it would be without biology finals and headgear. . . but sure, if I ever happen to meet the right person, another kid might be nice."_

"Oh god Luke, it just came out. I know that we haven't talked about it. I don't even know if you want kids. There's that whole jam-hands and-"

Luke stopped her by putting his hand gently over her mouth and saying, "I want. With you." She gave him a look of wide-eyed surprise, and a touch of anxiety, so he added, "eventually."

Lorelai let out her breath and said, "Well, when you said it would be a short conversation, that wasn't what I was expecting." Luke chuckled, realizing that she was remembering the conversation too. She took a deep breath and then asked, "Does this mean that I'm the right person?"

"Exactly the right person," he said with a smile.

Suddenly Lorelai's tone turned serious, and she looked at Luke. "I was serious about what I told my mom. I won't let her get away with treating you like she has. If we are a couple, she has to take both of us."

"I don't want to come between you and your family," he said firmly.

"I don't want my family to come between you and I," she replied, just as firmly.

"Well, let's just see how things play out."

* * *

The next day, Luke was in the diner cleaning up after breakfast. He heard the bell ring over the door and looked up, surprised to see Emily. She met his eyes and walked over to the counter.

"Hello Mrs. Gilmore. What can I do for you?" He was polite, but cool.

"Call me Emily please. I was wondering if we could talk?" She looked tired and if possible, older than she had the night before.

"Sure," he said tentatively, "What would you like to talk about?"

"Yesterday's dinner and you and Lorelai," she answered bluntly, though her voice softened when saying her daughter's name. He had no idea what she had come to say, but she seemed conciliatory, so he nodded. "Is there anywhere we could talk privately?"

He briefly considered offering the storage room to add to her obvious discomfort, but finally said, "We can talk upstairs in my apartment."

She nodded and he turned to tell Caesar to watch the diner, then gestured toward the stairs. At the top of the stairs, he unlocked his door and held it for her. As she entered the apartment, he could see her eyes scanning the place and measuring it up. "May I take your coat?" As she handed it to him, he asked, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Some water would be nice, please," she replied, as she sat on the couch.

He busied himself getting two glasses of water and watched her carefully as he brought them over to the table near the couch. Her face was tense and one hand was gripping the other tightly. She was clearly nervous. He sat down in the chair across from the couch and looked at her expectantly. Her eyes met his and he was surprised to see sadness and pain, present for just a moment, before it was replaced with a more serious look.

It seemed as though it were an eternity before she spoke, "I wanted to apologize for what happened at dinner yesterday. I was rude to you."

"I accept your apology." His voice was without emotion. He paused, then continued, "You don't want me with Lorelai." It came out more bitterly than he had intended and he thought he saw a hint of something, understanding perhaps, in her face. He remembered some of what he had heard Lorelai yelling last night and wondered how much she actually did understand his position.

"You are not who I imagined her with." It was not quite as much a rejection as he had expected.

"Can you tell me what you want for her that I can't offer?"

Emily thought for a moment and said, "I want her to be financially secure, to be with someone who can support her so that she could choose whether or not to work. She should have someone from a good family so that she can be a part of society and gain all of the benefits from those kinds of connections. . . "

Luke listened to Emily's description and tried to picture Lorelai. Without meaning to, he smiled.

Emily stopped when she saw his expression. "Why are you smiling?"

"Do you think that is what Lorelai really wants? Or is that what you want?"

She looked angry for a moment, then her shoulders fell and she asked, "Do you think that you know what Lorelai wants?" It came out sounding like a challenge from someone almost defeated. It was a frightening thing to see Emily Gilmore looking this way. Lorelai's words last night had clearly opened some old wounds.

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"She told me last year, when she was having a rough time in the final days of inn construction. We weren't dating yet, but we talked a lot."

"What did she tell you?"

"She said it was one of the times she wished that she were married because she really wanted a partner, someone to lean on when things got hard." He saw her face fall and go pale at the word partner and wondered what that meant.

"And you want to be that partner?" He tone was no longer bitter, but curious and seeking confirmation. "You want to marry her?"

"Yes, I do."

"You do know that she is not the easiest person to live with. She's stubborn."

"Determined."

"She doesn't listen to anyone."

"She's independent."

"She never stops talking."

"She lights up every room she walks into." Emily's eyebrows raised at this.

"She's annoying."

"Well, that I'd have to agree with," Luke replied with a smile. "But all of that, it's what I love about her. You know what's interesting, she's a lot like you."

"Really?" Emily pondered this for a moment and it seemed to please her. "You love her?" She was again seeking confirmation.

"Yes I do, exactly the way she is. That's the other thing she wants, you know."

"What?"

"Acceptance." He had known it would sound like an accusation, but he wasn't prepared for the hurt look on her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"Lorelai is always worried about disappointing people. She feels like she has always been a disappointment to you and Richard." He wondered then if he had gone too far. The shock on Emily's face told him that this was something she knew subconsciously but had not yet been prepared to face.

"Did she tell you that?"

He nodded, "The day that I drove her to the hospital when Richard was sick. She was carrying around a lot of guilt about not being the kind of daughter that could make him happy."

"She really said that?"

He nodded again and added, "I told her couldn't imagine anyone seeing her as a disappointment. I still don't. I've always thought she was amazing. I'm so proud of everything she's been able to do, mostly on her own."

Emily flinched at the last few words and replied firmly, "So am I. Even though we haven't always agreed with her decisions, Richard and I are very proud of everything she has been able to accomplish and how well she has done with Rory."

"Does she know that?" Luke asked with a slightly challenging tone.

Emily had recovered her typical strength and offered back her own challenge, "Does she know that you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

He thought back to their conversation from the previous night. "She might suspect," he paused when he saw Emily looking at him expectantly. "But we haven't discussed anything official."

"Well, it looks like we _both_ have our work cut out for us."

_Fin_


End file.
